Guard for step-ladders



(No Model.)

0. J. MEISEL.

GUARD FOR STEP LADDERS.

No. 396,886. Patented Jan. 29, 1889..

WITNESSES: l/VVE/VTOR:

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ATTORNEYS.

UNlTED STATES PATENT OEETcE.

OTTO .l. NEISEL, OF-TERRE IIAUTE, INDIANA.

GUARD FOR STEP-LADDERS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 396,886, dated January29, 1889.

Application filed September 18, 1888. Serial No. 285,710. (No model.)

To It whom, it may cancer/t:

Be it known that I, OTTO J. MEIsEL, of 'lerre lilaute, in the county ofVigo and State of Indiana, have invented a new and Improved Guard forStep-Ladders, of which the following is a full, clear, and exactdescription.

The object of my invention is to provide a cheap and practicalstep-ladder guard or hand-rail which will afford protection. and safetyto a'person in ascending or descending or in standing on the top of theladder, and which can be folded at the side of the ladder entirely outof the way when not in use.

Reference is to he had to the accompanyin drawings, forming a part ofthis specification, in which similar letters of reference indicatecorresponding parts in both the figures.

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a stepladder having my inventionapplied thereto, showing the guard or hand-rail in elevated posit-ionfor use; and Fig. 2 front view showing the hand rail folded.

The step-ladder A may be of the usual or of any approved construction.To the side piece or upright, B, are pivoted the two arms O O, thepivots a a passing through the ends of the said arms. The outer ends ofsaid arms are connected by thumb-sorews (l d, to the guard or rail 1),the lower arm being connected near the lower end of the said rail, whilethe upper arm is connected at or about the center of the said rail. Thepivot of the upper arm (7 is near the top step, E, while the pivot ofthe lower arm is a short distance below the center of the upright B, sothat the upper arm will fold down parallel with the upright B and inline with the lower arm. In the upper arm (I is fitted the staple f,with which the hook f on the step E is adapted to engage, as shown inFig.

I 1, for holding the hand-rail and arm C in posiused, the thumbscrcws (lare to be loosened and the arms O O turned to upright position andfastened by the hook f. In this position of the arms C (l the rail Dstands out from the steps of the ladder and reaches above the top step,E,so that it assists in ascending and descending the ladder and alsoacts as a safeguard to a person standing on the top step.

To fold the hand-rail, it is only necessary to loosen the thumb-screwscl, swing back the hook f and turn the arms down to the p0sition shownin Fig. 2. The thumb-screws d are then to be tightened again to hold thearms and guard in place.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is

1. The top step having a recess at its edge, and the side piece orupright of the ladder having arms pivoted thereto, in combination with aguard-rail pivoted to the said arms and a fastening device for lockingthe upper arm in' the said recess, substai'itially as and for thepurposes set forth.

2. The top step, E, having a recess, g, at its edge, and the side piece,B, of the ladder, having the arms C C pivoted thereto, in combinationwith the guard-rail I), pivoted to the arms C by setsciews d, and afastening device or hook, f, for locking the upper arm O in the recessg, substantially as described.

OTTO J. MEISEL.

\Vitnesses:

W. D. Es'meaoox, WM. BIEL.

